


Head Down, Chin Up

by Pleasedial123



Series: Head Down, Chin Up [1]
Category: Naruto
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe Yakuzu, Arranged Marriage, BAMF Sakura, F/M, Original Character(s), Sakura wants to be a doctor dammit, and she'll kill to get there, crime lord Senju
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-08
Updated: 2018-10-08
Packaged: 2019-07-28 01:52:57
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,662
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16231784
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pleasedial123/pseuds/Pleasedial123
Summary: Haruno Sakura is married on a dreary Tuesday at the age of eighteen. It is an arranged marriage and Sakura’s fists are clenched beneath the wide sleeves of the traditional kimono as she sits in the temple.Sakura marries a stranger because she wants to be a doctor and knows her dream will be taken if she disobeys. She just has to keep her head down and her mouth shut.Until her husband makes a mistake and Sakura takes the opportunity presented.





	Head Down, Chin Up

Haruno Sakura is married on a dreary Tuesday at the age of eighteen. It is an arranged marriage and Sakura’s fists are clenched beneath the wide sleeves of the traditional kimono as she sits in the temple. Her face and smile are calm, serene, but inside she is a wave of rage. Her parents sold her off because she is a daughter, not a son and they want a man to inherit their business. They are old fashioned like that.

The man she married is a stranger, one she had met twice and not cared a wit for. He is twenty seven, plain, and even a tad egotistic. He marries her for her inheritance and because she is pretty and she hated him just for that on principle. 

She married him because she had little other escape if she wished to attend university. Her dream was to be a doctor and she had almost had that dream taken away from her. She knew how much medical school costed and she was not a fool. She had the grades for scholarships but those only went so far. And loans would be out of the question with her father enacting his will, heading her off at any angle. He had enough power to have loans denied and she knew it.

So Sakura kept her head down, married the man, and started university immediately. She knew the law quite well and knew when she had what she wanted, divorce would be an option. She just had to survive long enough to graduate. Just had to be the dutiful little wife as much as it chafed her.

Sakura knew a thing or two about keeping her head down. Her parents were bankers, prominent ones who catered to many large groups and corporations. She also knew that they had more than just some straight laced clients. Sakura was a smart girl and though no one had ever told her she knew her parents did banking for many gangs and yakuza and other unsavory types. That her husband obviously knew that side of the business told her she needed to keep her head down around him as well.

So Sakura married the man chosen for her by her parents. And when her parents suffered an accident months later and she and her husband inherited everything, well….

Sakura was a smart girl.

She kept her head down, no love lost there, and waited. Her husband showed the proper grief, bought her the proper mourning colors, and told her he would look after her. Sakura was not a fool. 

Sakura was married for a year when her husband further proved he was an egotistical idiot and made his last mistake.

.--.

Sakura’s lips twitched into a frown. The click of her heels echoed down the hall, the rolling of her suitcase wheels near silent on the tile.

“Hello,” the secretary greeted her, “How-”

“I’m here to see Senju Hashirama,” Sakura cut her off. 

“Do you have an appointment?” the woman asked skeptically. 

“Tell him it’s Haruno Sakura from the Bank with some bad news,” Sakura said, “Tell him it’s about the ROOT Account.”

The woman gave her a skeptical look and Sakura noted the security watching her closely. She merely gave the woman a flat gaze and stood patiently. Said woman finally relented and made a call, speaking carefully. She paused. 

“Thirty first floor,” she told Sakura without further fuss.

“Thank you.”

Sakura strode for the elevator just around the front desk. The security guard opened the elevator for her and punched in the correct floor, key card flashing as the numbers locked in. Sakura stood silently in the elevator, large suitcase at her legs and absently brushed her shirt down. She had dressed in black trousers, a dark burgundy blouse tucked into that under a smart black jacket. Her short hair was swept to the side, small ruby drops in her ears. On her feet she wore tall black stiletto, a gift from her husband who liked her legs. She hoped she looked professional. 

When the doors opened two body guards greeted her in front of the head office. They gave her a quick thorough sweep for weapons, careful to stay respectful.

“We’ll need to search your bag ma’am,” the first said.

“It’s a surprise for your boss,” Sakura explained shortly. 

But she still let them open the suitcase and peer in. She could see their pause, see their hesitation. She saw them slowly make a decision before one guard leaned in and announced her. Sakura grabbed the handle of her ungainly large suitcase and slipped in through the doors.

The office was quite nice, all tall glass windows and expensive furnishings. But Sakura was more focused on the man behind the desk, all long dark mahogany hair and sleek dark green suit. Another man sat in one of the chairs with hair the color of moonlight and a dark blue pinstripe suit. They were both attractive and very, very dangerous. 

The one in the chair was sipping what looked like brandy while the man at the desk had a thin cigarette tucked in his fingers. Two men enjoying a moment with their vices. By the look in their eyes they were barely tolerating her interruption.

“They said someone from Haruno Banking was here to see me,” the man behind the desk said, “but I don’t recognize you.”

“I am Haruno Sakura,” she said shortly, “Daughter of Mebuki and Hirana. Wife to Tanaka.”

“I am sorry for your loss,” the man said referencing her parent’s death only months beforehand, “Why has your husband sent you? You mentioned the ROOT account.”

“Yes,” Sakura said, “Danzou and the Root division are planning a coup against you.”

The men froze.

“Excuse me?” the man in the chair said dangerously.

“They’ve been diverting funds and fudging the numbers as they take territory and bring in more weapons under your nose,” Sakura said crisply. 

The man in the chair stood suddenly and Sakura narrowed her eyes at the challenge. The man behind the desk however held up a hand, halting his partner.

“Do you know who I am, Haruno Sakura?” he asked casually.

“Senju Hashirama,” Sakura acknowledge, “You’re the yakuzu leader of this city.”

“This province and half the country actually,” he corrected cheerfully, “Do you know how I got that position?”

“Alliances and skill,” Sakura said.

“Yes, and one such alliance that helped me take over half this country is the one I have with Danzo and his Root. Such accusations against them are concerning as such. Do you know my brother here? His name is Tobirama and he’s my more…hotheaded half. He deals with all troubles. Now, if you are here to raise trouble, I will be leaving you to him. So tell me, Haruno Sakura, do you have proof of your accusations?”

Sakura unclipped the suitcase and gave it a solid kick.

Her dear husband rolled out with a muffled groan, hands and feet duck taped and zip-tied. Around his head was a wrap of duck-tape to keep him silent. 

“My husband here,” she smiled, “Has been helping them. He has many helpful letters and papers that prove it, as well as his own confession.”

Sakura reached into her purse and pulled out a stack of folders, holding them out but not approaching the desk. Hashirama was watching her husband with narrowed eyes but Tobirama took the papers, briefly flipping through them. 

“I have helpfully provided a few more documents and photos for further proof from my own sources,” Sakura said.

Tobirama passed the packet to his brother and leaned over, ripping the duck-tape away from her husband’s mouth.

“This bitch is lying!” he husband yelled immediately, “She’s crazy!”

“Well, Tanaka, she has a decent amount of proof here,” Hashirama said, deceptively calm.

“It’s fake!” her husband blubbered desperately, “I’m loyal to you sir! I would never betray you!”

Hashirama looked down at the folders, going through them slower than his brother, looking over dates and information. 

“It seems quite the opposite,” Hashirama finally said, “And I must say, I’m disappointed. The Haruno’s have ever been a loyal family and we had high hopes that with their family name and training, you would have been similar. It seems we were wrong.”

Hashirama looked up at Sakura as her husband started to sob.

“And it seems we underestimated the daughter. Tell me, why did Mebuki never bring you forward, why were you not raised to take over?”

“Sexism,” Sakura said simply, “He did not think it a woman’s job. Even my mother was nothing more than a glorified secretary.”

“Hmm. Tobirama, get the details out of him. Sakura, if I may offer you a drink?”

“That would be lovely, sir,” she said carefully.

He motioned her over and then hit a button on his intercom.

“Hiro, please bring our guest and I some refreshments.”

Sakura watched from beside the desk as Tobirama crouched down beside her restrained husband and started to speak softly. Tanaka lasted a minute before he burst out sobbing and begging. 

“And he hasn’t even started. I think this will be an easy job brother,” Hashirama said seemingly amused if not for the cold look in his eyes.

One of the guards entered a moment later with a tray, stepping over her husband like he was a bit of paper to set it down. Hashirama carefully poured two tumblers of honey colored liquor and handed one to Sakura. She let him clink their glasses before taking a careful sip.

“Why don’t you take a seat my dear, this may take a few moments,” he smiled at her. 

She looked at him and he very casually motioned to his knee. Sakura took a sip of her drink and then perched herself on his knee. He reached out and tugged her closer.

“Now, how much would you place on him breaking in under ten minutes?” Hashirama asked, a hand on her waist.

Sakura looked forward only, ignoring the grip on her side and looked at her husband.

“I’d say it’s a fools bet. He won’t last more than five.”

“Such a low opinion of your husband,” Hashirama chuckled, “Don’t you love him.”

“It was an arranged marriage,” she said a tad harshly, “And not one I arranged.”

Hashirama nodded.

“Did he love you?” he asked.

“I doubt it.”

“No fondness at all?”

“He liked my cunt well enough,” she said bluntly. 

Hashirama barked a laugh and looked to his brother and her husband. His brother was still talking softly, but he had a boot on Tanaka’s hands and a blade to his shoulder. 

“Tobirama, sit him up a moment.”

Tobirama shot him a rather annoyed glance but pulled the blade from the flesh of his armpit (something that must have been painful with how delicate that area was, Sakura thought). He propped her snivelling husband up and Hashirama wrapped an arm around Sakura’s waist more fully, leaning forward.

“Tell me Tanaka, Sakura says you liked her cunt, was there anything else you liked about her?”

Tanaka merely snivelled.

“Answer him,” Tobirama said, digging a foot in behind his knee.

“I-I liked her on her knees, sir,” Tanaka cried, “I liked h-holding the bitch down.”

“Ah, so you liked owning her?”

“Y-yes sir.”

“Well, I rather think it’s her turn don’t you? Tobirama, take you information and then we will give dear Sakura a turn here.”

And so Tobirama pulled the information out of her bawling husband. She was right in the end; it took less than five minutes.

“Now,” Hashirama said, nudging her to her feet, “I think it’s time for Sakura to have her turn holding you down like a bitch. Tobirama, give her your sword.”

Tobirama reached for a delicate katana that was tucked out of site beside his chair and gave Sakura a scowl before handing it over. Sakura stood, set her glass down with a clink, and took the sword. 

“I rather hate getting blood in my office, but needs must,” Hashirama said, “Sakura, please deal with the trash.”

Sakura knew what this was. He had held her close, waiting for her reaction as her husband was tortured before her. His hand on her side had been against her wrists, feeling her pulse. Her weight on his knee would have given away any trembling, any tense muscles. His questions had been to throw her off her game and wheedle under her skin. And now, the final test of her true loyalty and intentions. 

Sakura pulled the katana free and looked at the rather sharp blade. She wasn’t all that sure of how to use a blade, her kendo lessons in middle school many leagues behind her. But it was sharp and she knew where to cut as a doctor. Tanaka stared at her with horror, blubbering.

Sakura raised the blade and smiled at him. 

“Do you want his head sir?” she checked.

“Yes please, darling,” Hashirama smiled.

Sakura made her move. The blade arched through the air and slammed into her husband’s throat. The swing was strong enough to slice through most of his neck. Swift and sure and Sakura was only faintly surprised how easy it was. 

With a yank she ripped the sword free, some arterial blood splashing across her hands and blouse. Her husband gave a gurgle and a twitch and collapsed like a poor puppet with its strings cut.

“I’m sorry,” Sakura said, a tad embarrassed, “I thought it would be easy to cut all the way through the neck.”

“The spine is a tricky thing to cut through,” Hashirama smiled, standing.

He moved around the desk and with a nudge of his boot, flipped Tanaka onto his back. Her husband’s glassy eyes stared up at her, his throat opened wide.

Tobirama held a hand out and Sakura gave him his sword back. As soon as her hands were empty Hashirama swept them up in his own.

“You have saved me a great deal of trouble today, Haruno Sakura. It seems I owe you a favor.”

“No favor,” Sakura said quickly, “I am simply glad to have saved you the headache.”

“There is nothing you want?” he raised a brow, “Do you want me to put you in charge of the Haruno Banks? Do you money or perhaps a nice vacation home.”

“No,” Sakura said quickly, “I will sign any papers you want to pass the Haruno banks onto a trustworthy person. I simply want to keep the account and the money along with the house that will be mine with his death. You may have everything else.”

Hashirama stroked a thumb across her hand, smearing the freckling of blood there.

“You know I can’t just let you slip away,” he said softly.

“I know,” she said.

She was an unknown who knew too much despite her family’s former service.

“I will answer any summon and will not get involved in any business not my own,” she swore, “I am simply a student.”

He looked to the dead body of her husband and knew the leverage her had over her. 

“The house and the money then,” he nodded, “and your loyalty of course.”

“Yes sir.”

“Welcome to Konoha,” he grinned.

Behind him Tobirama wiped the blood from his katana. Sakura looked at the two powerful men, looked at her hands trapped in his, looked at her dead husband.

She smiled.

.--.

Sakura had been married for but a year. And when that year was up she walked away with her head held high, dressed in mourner’s colors, and chased after her dream of being a doctor. And if there were a few extra shadows in her life, a few more dirty deeds and a few more splashes of blood, well, there was no terrible husband or distant parents so it was a worthwhile trade off. 

Sakura walked on her own two feet, wrapped in tall dangerous stilettos, as sharp and dangerous as she was.

.--.

**Author's Note:**

> Just a quick one-shot. I'm hoping to write a few dabbles set in this world later.


End file.
